Related topics: space · engine

NASA tests new spacecraft propellant gauge on lunar lander

It's easy to measure fuel in tanks on Earth, where gravity pulls the liquid to the bottom. But in space, the game changes. Quantifying fuel that's floating around inside a spacecraft's tank isn't so simple.

A magnetohydrodynamic drive could lead to fuel stations on Mars

Within the next 15 years, NASA, China, and SpaceX plan to send the first crewed missions to Mars. In all three cases, these missions are meant to culminate in the creation of surface habitats that will allow for many returns ...

Brr, it's cold in here! NASA's cryo efforts beyond the atmosphere

Establishing sustained operations at the moon and Mars presents a multitude of opportunities and challenges NASA has yet to encounter. Many of these activities require new technologies and processes to ensure the agency is ...

Could life exist in molecular clouds?

Our search for life beyond Earth is still in its infancy. We're focused on Mars and, to a lesser extent, ocean moons like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus. Should we extend our search to cover more unlikely places ...

Crunch time for Phoebus before testing

Launching things into space is hard. Aside from the engines and software, orbital calculations and the launch pad, the tanks that hold the fuel are a masterful example of engineering in their own right. And ESA will soon ...

page 1 from 17